Sunday, November 29, 2009

This is yellow foxglove, Digitalis grandiflora. This plant is located close to where the other foxgloves were earlier this spring. Digitalis grandiflora is native to mountains of western Europe, particularly the Alps. Picture taken November 26, 2009.Link to Digitalis grandiflora:

Saturday, November 28, 2009

There are occasional Yucca filamentosa plants growing wild in Indiana, normally as escapes from gardens and cemeteries.

Charles Deam reports in Deam's Flora of an early account of Yucca in Indiana:"In the original Coblentz edition of "Travels in the Interior of North America" published in 1839-41, Prince Maximilian writes of his travels from Owensville, Gibson County to Vincennes, on June 10, 1834, as follows: 'The region on the other side (north side of the White River, which he crossed in the vicinity of what is now known as Hazelton) changes considerably; and here appears in a now again sandy soil nearly the same plants as are found in the sandy soil and the prairies of St. Louis, with the addition of a few new ones, a fire-colored lily (Lilium catesbaei), the great-flowered lady slipper (Cypripedium spectabile), a species of Yucca, and many others.'It is not known what species Maximilian saw.It may have been (Yucca filamentosa) or Yucca glauca Nutt. both of which may have at that time extended up the Mississippi Valley into Indiana"

Friday, November 27, 2009

This is spotted dead nettle, Lamium maculatum 'Pink Chablis'. Dead nettle is a cool season plant, and a native of Europe. The dead nettle pictured here is a commercial cultivar intended for planting, but the non-spotted kind of dead nettle (Lamium purpureum) is a very common weed that probably grows in your garden anyway.

This is strawflower. Formerly called Bracteantha bracteata, the current scientific name of strawflower is Xerochrysum bracteatum. This is an Asteraceae plant, as it appears to be, but it only has disk flowers. What appear to be ray flowers are not flowers but papery involucral bracts.

Friday, November 13, 2009

The Musa basjoo banana was just today taken inside. Here is a picture of it a few days ago, November 2, 2009. It is tough enough to stand a few days of Indiana November. Notice the ensete had been taken away before this.